Door switch assembly



United States Patent DOOR SWITCH ASSEMBLY Nathan B. Higbie and Wilbur H. Norton, Bronson, Mich., assignors to Kingston Products Corporation, Kckomc, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application November 20, 1951, Serial No. 257,380

2'4- Claims. (Cl; 20.0-61.82)

This invention relates generally to, electrical switching apparatus'and: more particularly relates to an improved door" switch assembly of the type particularly suited for use. with an illumination circuit in. an automotive vehicle wherein. a source of illumination is automatically energizedwhenever a vehicle. dcor'is opened.

According to the general features ofthe present invention,.a ground; screw which is adapted to be threaded into the frame member of an. automotive vehicle is provided with where: extending axially therethrough and a counterbore extending into the body portion of the screw. A shaft of greater length than. the screw extendsthrough the bore'and. is biasedin one direction by means of a coil. spring coiledaroundthe shaft and bottomed in the counterboreof thescrew; the other endcf'the spring engaging one end of: the shaft. On the other end of the shaftis situated an insulating collar which, in turn, mounts a connector: sleeve adapted'to form'asocket for a conventional pluggand socket. connector structure. The grounding;screw is provided with ahead portion adapted to be engaged by a turning tool and constructed to lie substantially flush with the surface of the frame member as well as: with a" threaded cylindricalbody. portion and an end portion forming a switchacontact. When otherwise unrestrained, the spring will bias. thezshaft in onedirection so that the. connector sleeve will engagingly abut the switch contaetend portion of the grounding screw thereby completing an electrical circuit of which the. frame membet. and the connector sleeve are component parts. Upon axially moving the shaft relative-to the grounding screw against the biasof thespring, the connector sleeve will be separated from the grounding screw thereby breaking the circuit connection-at the. point of contact between the switch contact portion of the grounding screw and the connector sleeve.

It is an object of the present. inventionto provide a door switchassembly which may be fabricated from a reduced number of sturdy components and which may be conveniently manufactured at low cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a switching assembly. which utilizes a well known screw configuration in a ground screw element ofthe assembly.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention willibecome manifest upon making reference to the detailed description which. follows andthe accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment of a switch assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view with parts shown in elevation of a switch assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectionalview with parts shown in elevation showing additional details of construction of. the switch assembly of. Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged: cross sectional view taken substantially on line IIIIII of Figure 2.

2,801,309 Patented July 30, 1957 As shown on the drawings:

Although it will be understood that the principles of the present invention are of general application, the description of our invention is based, by way of illustrative example, on a structural embodiment particularly suited for use as a door switch assembly in an automotive vehicle. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, a ground member if), such as the frame of an automotive vehicle has a surface 11 intersected by a threaded bore 12. A grounding screw indicated generally at 13 has a head 14 adapted to lie generally flush to the surface 11, the bore 12 being counterbored as at 12a to receive the head 14'. It-will be understood, that the head 14 isconstructed with the usual recessed portions 16 which facilitate mating engagement with a suitable turning tool v(not shown).

The grounding screw-13- further includes a generally cylindrical body portion 17 which is externally threaded and which terminates in an end portion 18 of generally conical shape and forming a switch contact.

A lock washer 19 having a configuration complementary to the head 14 includes a plurality of offset tangs 20 and Serves to establish a firm assembly of the grounding screw 13 in the frame member 10.

The grounding screw 13 is provided with a bore 21 extending axially therethrough. A counterbore 22 is also formed in the grounding screw 13 and extends through the head 14- and into the body portion 17, and counterbore 22 terminating in an internal annular shoulder 23 lying between the counterbore 22 and the bore 21.

A. shaft 24 of greater length than the grounding screw 13 extends throughthe bore 21. At one end of the shaft 24 is provided an annular flange 26 forming a seat to bottom the end of a. coil spring 27. The other'end of the coil spring 27 engages the internal annular shoulder 23, the coil spring 27 being coiled around the shaft 24 and having asubstantial portion thereof received in the counterbore 22. of the grounding screw 13.

At the other end of the shaft 24, a collar 28 of insulating material is locked to the shaft 24 by a plurality of tangs 29. The collar 28 seats a connector 30 made of electrically conductive material and preferably comprising a sleeve of generally tubular configuration. The collar, 28 has a. peripheral rib 31 and the, connector 30 hasan enlarged diameter portion at one end which may be provided, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart indentations 32. so that the connector 30 will be locked in firm assembly on the collar 28. In other words, the peripheral rib 31 of, the collar 28, is confined within a recess formed between the indentations 32 and the reduced diameter portion of the connector 30.

The enlarged diameter portion of the connector 30 terminates in a flared flange 33 which engages the switch contact end portion of the grounding screw 13.

The smaller diameter section of the connector 30 forms a tubular socket, and is also provided with an identation 34 as Well as an axial slot 36 to facilitate efficient electrical engagement with the male contact, or plug, of an electrical circuit member.

It will be noted that the connector 30, the insulator collar 28, the grounding screw 13, the shaft 24 and the coil spring 27 are relatively axially aligned to resiliently bias the connector 30 into abutting engagement with the grounding screw 13 at the switch contact end portion 18. Upon moving the shaft 24 axially with respect to the grounding screw 13 against thebias of the coil spring.

it will be appreciated: that the. grounding screw 13 isv threaded into the frame member 10 of the automotive vehicle with the flange 26 on the shaft 24 projecting beyond the surface 11 and adapted to be engaged by the door whenever it is moved into closing relationship with the frame member 1%. As soon as the door is opened, however, the coil spring 27 will urge the shaft 24 in one direction so that the electric circuit to a suitable source of illumination will be closed through the engagement between the switch contact end portion 18 and the connector 39.

Although various minor structural modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come with the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A switch comprising an electrically conductive screw adapted to be threaded into a grounding member, said screw having a head, an externally threaded body, and a cone point, and having an axially extending open-ended bore formed therein extending axially therethrough, a shaft of greater length than said screw in said bore, insulator means on one end of said shaft adjacent said cone point, a current continuing connector sleeve carried on said insulator means and providing an electrical contact seat for said cone point at one end and a plug receiving socket recess at the other end thereof, and a spring between said shaft and said screw to move said other end of said shaft in outward direction relative to said head and resiliently yielding upon selective axial displacement of said shaft to separate said cone point and said socket sleeve.

2. A switch comprising an electrically conductive screw adapted to be threaded into a grounding member, said screw having a head, an externally threaded body, and a cone point, said screw having formed therein an open ended axially extending bore, a shaft of greater length than said screw in said bore, insulator means on one end of said shaft adjacent said cone point, a current continuing connector sleeve carried on said insulator means and providing an electrical contact seat for said cone point at one end and aplug receiving socket recess at the other end thereof, said screw having a counterbore formed therein, and a coil spring around said shaft having one end bottomed against said screw at the end of said connterbore and the other end connected to said shaft for biasing said shaft to move said other end of said shaft in outward direction relative to said head and resiliently yielding upon selective axial displacement of said shaft to separate said cone point and said socket sleeve.

3. In combination, a grounding member having a surface intersected by a threaded bore, an electrically conductive screw having a cone point piloted into said bore, an externally threaded body threaded into said bore and a head substantially flush with said surface, said screw having an open-ended bore formed therein, and extending axially therethrough, a shaft of greater length than said screw in said bore, and a current continuing connector sleeve connected to one end of said shaft to provide an electrical contact seat for said cone point at one end of said sleeve and a plug receiving socket recess at the other end of said sleeve, and a coil spring in said bore around said shaft and operatively connected to said screw and to said shaft to move the other end of said shaft in outward direction relative to said surface and yielding resiliently to separate said cone point and said connector sleeve when said shaft is moved flush with said surface.

4. A switch, comprising, a screw adapted to be threaded into a grounding member, said screw having a head adapted to be engaged by a turning tool and an externally threaded cylindrical body terminating in a generally conically shaped end portion, said screw having an axial bore extending therethrough and a counterbore extending through said head and into a portion of said body, there being an internal annular shoulder between the end of said counterbore and said bore, a shaft of greater length than said screw extending through said screw, a coil spring normally of greater length than said counterbore around said shaft and in said counterbore, an annular shoulder on one end of said shaft to seat one end of said spring, the other end of said spring being bottomed against said internal annular shoulder in said screw, a connector on the other end of said shaft, said shaft, said connector, said spring and said screw being axially aligned to springbias said connector into contact engagement with said conically shaped end portion of said screw, said shaft being axially displaceable to separate said screw and said connector.

5. A switch as defined in claim 4 wherein said connector comprises a sleeve made of electrically conductive material and said shaft is provided with insulating means between said connector and said body of said screw to prevent short circuiting.

6. A switch apparatus comprising, a grounding screw, a shaft axially reciprocable in said screw and extending beyond the ends of said screw, a spring between said screw and one end of said shaft, and a current continuing connector sleeve on the other end of said shaft providing a recess on one end to engage and seat the end of said screw and providing a plug receiving socket recess on the other end, said shaft being axially displaceable against the bias of said spring to separate said connector and said screw.

7. In combination, a grounding member having a surface intersected by a threaded bore, a grounding screw in said bore and having a head adapted to be engaged by a turning tool and lying substantially flush with the surface of said grounding members, said screw having a threaded cylindrical body portion and an end portion forming a switch contact, said screw having a bore extending therethrough and a counterbore extending through said head portion and into said body portion, a shaft of longer length than said screw in said bore, a spring in said counterbore and engaging one end of said shaft to springbias one end of said shaft into projecting relationship relative to said surface, and a connector sleeve on the other end of said shaft to engage said switch contact end portion of said screw, said shaft being axially displaceable against the bias of said spring to separate said connector and said screw.

8. In combination, a grounding member having a surface intersected by a threaded bore, a grounding screw in said bore and having a head adapted to be engaged by a turning tool, said screw having a threaded cylindrical body portion and an end portion forming a switch contact, said screw having a bore extending therethrough and a counterbore extending through said head portion into said body portion, a shaft of longer length than said screw in said bore, a spring in said counterbore and engaging one end of said shaft to spring-bias said one end of said shaft into projecting relationship relative to said surface, an insulator collar on the other end of said shaft, and a connector sleeve made of electrically conductive material on said insulator collar, said sleeve having a socket portion adapted to receive a plug member, said connector further including a sleeve portion to engage said switch contact end portion of said screw, said shaft being axially displaceable against the bias of said spring to separate said connector and said screw.

9. A switch, comprising, a screw made of electrically conductive material and having a bore extending therethrough, one end of said screw having a head portion recessed to engage a turning tool and having a bore extending therethrough, a shaft of greater length than said screw extending through said bore, a coil spring around said shaft, said screw being counter-bored to receive said spring and bottoming one end of said spring at the bottom of said counter-bore, the other end of said spring engaging one end of said shaft and moving said one end of said shaft into outwardly projecting relation relative to the head of said screw, an insulator collar on the other end of said shaft, and a connector on said insulator collar, said connector having a sleeve portion abuttingly engaging the otherv end of the screw in electric circuit completing relationship and limiting the outward movement of said one end. of said shaft, said connector having a socket formed therein to receive'a plug member, said one end of said shaft being axially displaceable relative to said screw against the bias of said spring to a position flush with the head of said screw toseparate said connector and the other end of said screw.

10. A switch, comprising, ascrew made of electrically conductive material, a head on said screw having recess means formed therein engageable with a turning tool and an externally threaded cylindrical body on said screw terminating in an end portion providing a contact surface, sa'id screw having an axial bore extending therethrough and a counter-bore extending through said head and into a portion of said body, there being an internal annular shoulder between the end of said counter-bore and said bore, a shaft of greater length than said screw extending through said screw, a coil spring normally of greater length than said counter-bore around said shaft and in said counter-bore, an annular shoulder on one end of said shaft to seat one end of said spring, the other end of said spring being bottomed against said internal annular shoulder in said screw, said spring moving said one end of said shaft into projecting relation relative to said head, an insulated connector on the other end of said shaft, said shaft. said connector, said spring and said screw being co-axially aligned to spring-bias said connector into contact engagement with said end portion of said screw and to limit outward movement of said one end of said shaft relative to said screw, said shaft being axially displaceable to move said one end of said shaft flush with said head against the spring-bias to separate said screw and said connector.

11. In combination, a screw made of electrically conductive material and having a head formed with tool engaging recess means therein and an externally threaded body terminating in a conically shaped end portion formed with a tapered contact surface, said screw having a bore extending through said recess means and through said screw with a counter-bore extending through said recess means, said head and into said body, a shaft coaxially disposed in said bore and having one end projecting outwardly of said head and having the other end projecting outwardly of said contact surface, a coil spring coaxially disposed in said counter-bore and around said shaft, one end of said spring engaging said one end of said shaft, and the other end of said spring bottoming against said screw, thereby to move said one end of said screw into projecting relation relative to said head, an insulator collar connected to the other end of said shaft and a generally cylindrical terminal member made of electrically conductive material and being medially keyed to said collar in firm assembly therewith, one end of said terminal member forming an annular contact ring engaging said tapered contact surface of said screw for completing an electric circuit and further limiting movement of said shaft in one direction, and the other end of said terminal member forming a socket portion providing recess means for receiving a conductor wire of a circuit to be controlled, said one end of said shaft moving axially in said bore against the bias of said spring into flush alignment with said head to separate said tapered contact surface and said annular contact ring.

12. In the combination of claim 11, an automotive door frame forming a grounding member for an electric circuit and having a surface adapted to confront the mating surface of a movable door, said surface of said door being intersected by a threaded bore receiving said screw in threaded together assembly and aligning said head of said screw in generally flush relationship relative to said surface.

13. In combination, a rotatably applied fastener, an actuating element movable within said fastener, an electrical contact actuatable by said element during its movement, said contact. being engageable with said fastener when the element is in one position, and electrical conductor connecting means supported by said fastener, said connecting means being mounted for rotational movement with respect to the fastener.

14. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movable within said fastener, electrical contact means actuatable by said plunger during its movement, said contact means being engageable with an end surface of said fastener in one position of the plunger, resilient means for urging, the plunger into said position, and electrical conductor connecting means supported by said plunger, said con-' necting means being. mounted for rotational movement with respect to said plunger.

15. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movable within said fastener, resilient means for urging the plunger toward one end of the fastener, a tubular member mounted on said plunger and having a contact portion conductively engageable with said fastener when the plunger is urged toward said one end of the fastener, an electrical conductor connecting portion on said tubular member, and means for supporting said tubular member for rotational movement with respect to said plunger.

16. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movably mounted within said fastener, resilient means disposed within said fastener and urging said plunger toward one end of the fastener, an insulating member secured to one end of the plunger, a tubular member supported for rotational and limited pivotal movement on said insulating member, and a contact portion on said tubular member, and engageable with the other end of said fastener when the plunger is urged toward said one end of the fastener.

17. In combination, an externally threaded fastener, an axial bore within said fastener and having a shoulder therein, a plunger within said fastener, resilient means disposed within said bore and engageable with said shoulder and one end of the plunger to urge the plunger into a position projecting from one end of said fastener, an insulating member secured to the other end of said plunger, an electrically conductive member rotatably mounted on said insulating member and having a contact portion conductively engageable with the other end of said fastener when the plunger is in said projected position, and electrical conductor connecting means on said conductive member.

18. The combination according to claim 17, said fastener being further provided with a tool-receiving recess, said plunger being movable to a retracted position within said axial bore by the application of a tool to said recess.

19. In combination, a rotatably applied fastener, an actuating element movable within said fastener, an electrical contact actuatable by said element during its movement, said contact being engageable with said fastener when the element is in one position, and electrical conductor connecting means supported by said fastener.

20. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movable within said fastener, electrical contact means actuatable by said plunger during its movement, said contact means being engageable with an end surface of said fastener in one position of the plunger, resilient means for urging the plunger into said position, and electrical conductor connecting means supported by said plunger.

21. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movable within said fastener, resilient means for urging the plunger toward one end of the fastener, a tubular member mounted on said plunger and having a contact portion conductively engageable with said fastener when the plunger is urged toward said one end of the fastener, and

an electrical conductor connecting portion on said tubular member.

22. In combination, a fastener, a plunger movably mounted within said fastener, resilient means disposed Within said fastener and urging said plunger toward one end of the fastener, an insulating member secured to one end of the plunger, a tubular member supported on said insulating member, and a contact portion on said tubular member and engageable with the other end of said fastener when the plunger is urged toward said one end of the fastener.

23. In combination, an externally threaded fastener, an axial bore within said fastener and having a shoulder therein, a plunger within said fastener, resilient means disposed Within said bore and engageable with said shoulder and one end of the plunger to urge the plunger into a position projecting from one end of said fastener, an insulating member secured to the other end of said plunger, an electrically conductive member mounted on said insulating member and having a contact portion conductively engageable with the other end of said fastener when the plunger is in said projected position, and

electrical conductor connecting means onsaid conductive member.

24. The combination according to claim 23, said fastener being further provided with a tool-receiving recess, said plunger being movable to a retracted position within said axial bore by the application of a tool to said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 317,450 Frenyear May 5, 1885 859,367 Cohn July 9, 1907 997,036 Blackburn July 4, 1911 1,149,599 Small Aug. 10, 1915 1,628,209 Wilcox May 10, 1927 2,193,690 Johnson Mar. 12, 1940 2,256,670 Grennlees Sept. 23, 1941 2,568,610 Chappell Sept. 18, 1951 2,641,662 Liley June 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,975 Germany Nov. 11, 1920 

